…WICB, WIPA mediation talks break down; matter now set to go to arbitration
A disappointed Sir Shridath Ramphal yesterday described “as another bad day for West Indian cricket”, the failure of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and the West Indies Players Association (WIPA) to solve their differences.

The two bodies have been at odds over issues relating to players’ contracts. The disagreement has already resulted in many of the top West Indies players, including former captain Chris Gayle, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Shrivnarine Chanderpaul and Dwayne Bravo boycotting the Bangladesh series and missing out on the Champions Trophy scheduled for later this month.

Sir Shridath, who was appointed mediator, had been in discussion with the feuding parties since last month and had set the end of August as the deadline for reaching a solution.

But in a brief statement, the eminent Caribbean jurist warned that West Indies cricket “without fundamental changes, is now likely to deteriorate further”.

Sir Shridath explained that 24 hours before the breakdown, he believed that “Agreement between the WICB and WIPA was at hand; and that he had actually invoked assistance of various kinds to make implementation of the Agreement feasible”.

“However, all that changed dramatically when one Party introduced an entirely new document and refused to negotiate on any other.”

The matter is now set to go to arbitration.

Sir Shridath said that he will report to Guyana’s President Bharrat Jagdeo, who had used the “good offices of the Chairman of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM)” to initiate the mediation process between the feuding parties.

A report will also be submitted to CARICOM Secretary-General Edwin Carrington on the outcome of the mediation effort.

Sir Shridath said, despite the disappointment he was urging cricket followers in the Caribbean not to despair because, “cricket is in our regional genes; it cannot be lost.”